Indiana University Athletics
Arizona State Preview (10-26-04)
10/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
October 26, 2004
No. 17 Indiana vs. No. 21 Arizona State Pre-Meet Press Conference
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Head Coach Dorsey Tierney, Head Diving Coach Dr. Jeff Huber, Diving Events Coordinator Jason Baumann and senior Cassandra Cardinell give their thoughts regarding team goals this season and the upcoming meet against No. 21 Arizona State.
HEAD COACH DORSEY TIERNEY
On expectations for this year’s team:
“We lost six of our NCAA scorers from last year’s team to graduation, so I thought this year would be a rebuilding year. We are a very young team, but they have surprised me so far. Even though we have a pretty small team in terms of numbers, our individual quality is solid from top to bottom.”
On last weekend’s SMU Classic:
“I was very happy with our intensity. Our group raced at a very high, competitive level this weekend and that is rare for this time of the year. They really did well with the smaller aspects that are typically not focused on this early in the year.”
On any letdown in the sport after an Olympic year:
“The Olympics really bring a lot of excitement to our sport, especially since swimming is a showcase event at the Games. Not only is there excitement with the Olympics, but there are also all of the Trials and the World Cup. That excitement trickles down to our level. Last season, we swam the NCAA Championship in short course meters, and there were several world records broken at the event and that creates excitement. Yes, I think there is a bit of a let down after the Olympics, but it really just creates an opportunity for new faces to arise.”
On expectations for the Big Ten Championships this season:
“From a conference standpoint, this is going to be a challenging year for us. We have a lot of depth in diving, but don’t have so much in swimming. The conference meet is all about depth. You have to score a lot of people in the 10 spot on down. I feel pretty confident about our chances in the top five though. Right now, Kristen Bradley owns the top time in the country in the 400 IM. We will probably do much better at NCAAs then we will at the Big Ten meet.”
On her last seven years as Indiana’s head coach:
“We are getting better every year. I have learned something new about coaching every year I have been here. I remember in the beginning, it was so much fun to just watch us get better and better all the time. Now, our next challenge is to crack into the top five at NCAAs. We have made great strides in recruiting since we have gotten the top level talent to come in for official visits. Now, we just need to sign them. I do foresee us getting into the top five within the next five years.”
DIVING COACH DR. JEFF HUBER
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On expectations for the women’s diving squad:
“I feel pretty good about this team. Although, we lost some points with Sara Hildebrand graduating, we have some very good people coming back this year. We probably have the strongest women’s squad that we have had in a long time.”
On impact the addition of Christina Loukas has on team:
“She is very good. She really adds depth. If we can stay healthy, we are going to do pretty well.”
On whether the program is returning to the level of the Counsilman-Billingsley era:
“Absolutely. In my mind, we have the two best coaches in the country in Ray Looze and Dorsey Tierney. If you are a good swimmer, coming here will make you better. I guarantee you that if you come here, you will swim faster with Dorsey as your coach.”
DIVING EVENTS COORDINATOR JASON BAUMANN
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On returning talent for the women’s diving squad:
“We have five people that competed at the Trials, five Big Ten finalists, three returning All-Americans. We have a lot of depth this year. Plus, we have some solid freshmen coming in.”
SENIOR ALL-AMERICAN CASSANDRA CARDINELL
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On how competing in the Olympics impacted her desire to dive:
“It has really made me more hungry. Before Athens, I wasn’t sure if I was going to want to stick around for 2008 in Beijing. Right now, I have already decided to work towards it. I also can’t wait for Big Tens and NCAAs this year.”
On recovering from foot surgery:
“I should be back to full diving by December. Diving is so much more about the mental aspect, that I just need to stay focused. It won’t take long after I recover to get back to where I was. It is just a matter of staying in shape.”
Players Mentioned
Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming and DivingDiving
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